Bitter fighting between armed forces and an influential paramilitary group in Sudan has plunged the Northeast African country into a serious state crisis. Sudanese doctors say dozens have already been killed and hundreds injured – and the trend continues. More than 24 hours after the fighting began, no group was able to gain the upper hand.
The UN Security Council, with rare unanimity, called on all parties to the conflict to end the bloodshed and begin talks to end the crisis. In addition, humanitarian aid workers must be given safe access and UN employees must be protected, the most powerful body of the United Nations demanded. UN Secretary General António Guterres, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock also called for an immediate end to the violence in Sudan.
Military buildings are particularly hard fought for
The construction of the main military command in the capital Khartoum was particularly hard on Sunday, parts of which caught fire. The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) said they have control over certain parts of the headquarters. The Sudanese army dismissed this as a hoax. Instead, the military said the fire was extinguished. There were no injuries. However, eyewitnesses report that fighting there continued unabated. Heavy artillery and fighter jets would have been used. Fighting is also said to have broken out in other parts of the country, such as Darfur and the provinces of North Kordofan. Heavy fighting was also reported from the town of Merowe in the north of the country.
The power struggle of the leaders flared up
The cause of the outbreak of violence is a bitter power struggle between the Sudanese ruler General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo – also known as Hemedti – the leader of the RSF. The conflict in the country of 46 million people escalated on Saturday, with fierce fighting breaking out within hours.
Since the fall of longtime ruler Omar al-Bashir in 2019 and another coup against a civilian government set up as a result – but effectively controlled by the military – in 2021, the military has been in control of Sudan. The RSF and the Sudanese military had worked hand-in-hand in both takeovers. The paramilitaries were to be incorporated into the armed forces as part of the planned transition to civilian rule in April. This led to a power struggle between the former Allies. Dagalo accused Burhan of not wanting to give up his position as de facto head of state and of holding on to power contrary to all agreements.
The RSF was founded in 2013 from militias in the western state of Darfur. During the decades-long conflict there, they were seen as ruthless supporters of the Arab-dominated government, which used violence against the African minority. The group and its leader, Dagalo, are accused of mass rape and other gross human rights violations.
Source: Krone
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